"Mr. Waters," said Mr. Smith with a good deal of sternness, as soon as we were alone, "I expect that no sentimental crotchet will prevent your doing your duty in this matter?"
"What right," I answered with some heat, "have you, sir, to make such an insinuation?"
"Because I perceived, by your manner, that you disapproved my questioning Mr. Lloyd as to the likeliest mode of securing his brother."
"My manner but interpreted my thoughts: still, sir, I know what belongs to my duty, and shall perform it."
I drew on my gloves, took up my hat, and was leaving the room, when Mr. Smith exclaimed, "Stay one moment, Mr Waters: you see that my great object is to break off the connection between my son and Miss Lloyd?"
"I am not anxious, you will remember, to press the prosecution _if, by a frank written confession of his guilt_, Owen Lloyd places an insuperable bar between his child and mine. You understand?"
"Perfectly. But permit me to observe, that the _duty_ you just now hinted I might hesitate to perform, will not permit me to be a party to any such transaction. Good-day."
I waited on Mr. William Lloyd soon afterwards, and listened with painful interest to the brief history which he, with childlike simplicity, narrated of his own and brother's fortunes. It was a sad, oft-told tale. They had been early left orphans; and deprived of judicious guidance, had run--William more especially--a wild career of dissipation, till _all_ was gone. Just before the crash came, they had both fallen in love with the same woman, Caroline Heyworth, who had preferred the meeker, more gentle-hearted Owen, to his elder brother. They parted in anger. William obtained a situation as bailiff and overseer of an estate in Jamaica, where, by many years of toil, good fortune, and economy, he at length ruined his health and restored his fortunes; and was now returned to die rich in his native country; and, as he had till an hour before feared, unlamented and untended save by hirelings. I promised to write immediately I had seen his brother; and with a sorrowful heart took leave of the vainly-rejoicing, prematurely-aged man.